Latest news with #OurHealthbox
Cision Canada
07-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Our Healthbox Launches at Dixon Hall, Democratizing Access to Healthcare with Support from CANFAR and BMO
Innovative "smart" vending machine developed by St. Michael's researcher dispenses free HIV self-testing kits, harm reduction, sexual health supplies TORONTO, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Toronto's first Our Healthbox has officially launched at Dixon Hall (65 Dundas Street East), with support from BMO and the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR). Driven by a shared view that everyone deserves the right to what they need for their health, this new Our Healthbox will provide free access to HIV self-tests, naloxone kits, harm reduction supplies, and sexual health products. Developed by Dr. Sean B. Rourke, Director of REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), these cutting-edge machines feature interactive touchscreens mounted on commercially available vending machines—transforming them into Our Healthbox units. Healthboxes provide low-barrier, cost-free access to HIV self-test kits—empowering individuals to "know their status"—as well as potentially life-saving naloxone kits to reverse opioid overdoses. They also offer wellness products (such as menstrual and hygiene items, or seasonal essentials like hats and gloves), and harm reduction supplies tailored to the specific needs of each community. Each machine also includes vital health information and a service directory to help users connect with local healthcare services and supports. Our Healthbox will play a critical role in supporting Dixon Hall, a multi-service agency that serves over 10,000 people each year—making a meaningful impact in the lives of some of the most vulnerable and at-risk members of downtown Toronto's East Side community. By providing anonymous access to health supplies, these machines eliminate common barriers to care—ensuring individuals can get what they need, when they need it. The launch at Dixon Hall, along with a recent installation at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, have been generously supported by BMO and CANFAR. BMO's support for the Our Healthbox program is a reflection of its Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. "BMO is committed to driving progress for healthcare in the communities we serve by supporting initiatives like Our Healthbox," said Tony Tintinalli, Head, Specialized Sales, Canadian Personal Banking, BMO. "Increased access to essential healthcare supplies leads to stronger and healthier communities, to support a thriving economy." Our Healthbox is more than a vending machine—it's a healthcare intervention. By offering vital health items in accessible locations, the initiative aims to break down barriers and significantly improve health outcomes, especially in communities with limited access to traditional healthcare. Andy Pringle, Chair of CANFAR, said the launch of a Healthbox at Dixon Hall reinforces CANFAR's commitment to health equity and improving outcomes for marginalized populations. "CANFAR is proud and excited to be a part of the launch of Our Healthbox at Dixon Hall. With this initiative, we are helping to make vital resources available to everyone—like HIV self-test kits—no matter someone's circumstances. Our Healthbox will help normalize conversations around sexual health and reduce stigma in our communities," said Pringle. First introduced in 2023, Our Healthbox has expanded nationwide. Thirteen machines are currently serving families and communities across Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. Additional units are planned for Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and the Northwest Territories. " Our Healthbox is a huge step forward in ensuring our community members have what they need to protect their health," said Mina Mawani, CEO of Dixon Hall. "It's about giving people control over their well-being in a way that's easy and accessible." Dixon Hall provides support to at-risk youth, seniors, individuals living with physical and mental health challenges, those experiencing housing insecurity, job seekers, and newcomers to Canada. As a frontline agency, it plays a critical role in addressing Toronto's—and Ontario's—growing homelessness crisis. Across the province, more than 80,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness—a 25% increase since 2022, according to the Association of Ontario Municipalities. Dr. Rourke emphasized that this initiative helps people who may be excluded from traditional healthcare due to stigma or systemic barriers. "This is about more than just providing supplies—it's about restoring dignity and trust in healthcare," said Dr. Rourke. "Too many people are left behind because of stigma, discrimination, or simply because services aren't available where they live. Our Healthbox is a response to that. By placing these smart, community-centered machines in underserved areas, we're removing barriers and meeting people where they are—offering the tools they need to take charge of their health, on their own terms." Beyond convenience, Our Healthbox units are equipped with real-time data analytics that monitor usage patterns to ensure product availability and inform rapid, evidence-based public health responses. To date, the machines have been visited over 118,000 times, distributing more than 48,000 health and harm reduction supplies—including over 2,100 naloxone kits. As the program continues to expand, its impact will only grow. Our Healthbox represents the future of accessible, community-driven healthcare—where innovative solutions meet people where they are and give them the tools they need to thrive. In addition to BMO's support, Our Healthbox is generously funded by The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); TD Canada Trust, St. Michael's Foundation, The Jackman Foundation, Power To Give Foundation. Our Healthbox launches in Atlantic Canada are funded by Even the Odds, a partnership between Staples Canada and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. For more information about Our Healthbox and to find a location near you, please visit About REACH Nexus at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in Canada. REACH is a part of MAP, located at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto – Canada's largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. REACH Nexus is focused is on reaching the undiagnosed, implementing and scaling up new testing options, strengthening connections to care, improving access to options for prevention (PrEP and PEP) and ending stigma. We work in collaboration and partnership with people living with HIV, community-based organizations, front-line service agencies, healthcare providers, public health agencies, researchers, industry partners, and federal, provincial and regional policymakers. About CANFAR The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) is Canada's leading independent voice for the fight against HIV/AIDS. CANFAR is committed to supporting research, education, and community outreach programs that address the prevention, treatment, and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. BMO Gives. Good grows here. Helping communities thrive by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. In 2024, we directed more than $108 million to drive progress for communities, which included $101 million in philanthropic contributions to hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across North America. Our colleagues spent over 54,000 hours volunteering in the community and contributed more than $39 million of donations through employee-driven giving in our annual campaigns.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Winnipeg clinic gives people tool to test drugs for fentanyl
NorWest Co-op Community Health is giving people a way to test their drugs for fentanyl on their own. Test strips are the newest item in the clinic's Our Healthbox vending machine, which distributes free harm reduction and wellness supplies. Our Healthbox was started by Reach Nexus as part of a national research project to challenge health inequities. The vending machine at NorWest on Keewatin is one of 12 in the country. Though the vending machine is just over a year old, the test strips are new to the clinic. The idea to add them came from a group of primary care workers who noticed the need for the kits in the community. Kazel Ebora, a primary care nurse at the clinic, said the test strips help promote safe consumption. "We decided to add the fentanyl test strips to our Healthbox as another harm reduction initiative to help people be informed of what they're using in their drugs and to help prevent an overdose," Ebora said. The kit comes with three fentanyl test strips, a cup, a spoon for measuring and a pamphlet with instructions. To do the test, a drug sample the size of the head of a match is stirred into 30 millilitres of water. The user then dips the end of the strip with blue wavy lines into the water for 15 seconds. After two minutes, the results appear. "There are quite a few limitations despite it being a great harm reduction tool," Ebora said. "Although it can detect fentanyl, it can't detect some fentanyl analogs such as carfentanyl," she said. "That's really important, because despite using this, if you do get a negative result, an overdose is still possible." False negatives and positives are possible too, Ebora said. The tests also have expiry dates and can be affected by improper storage. Health Canada also cautions those using the test strips about their limitations. A 2022 report published by Nine Circles, a Winnipeg community clinic that specializes in care for people with HIV, said using the strips to test street drugs is considered "off label as the strips were designed to detect fentanyl in urine for forensic purposes." The test strips cannot detect the percentage of fentanyl in the sample, the Nine Circles report said. The strips give only a positive or negative result. Since the kits are not 100 per cent accurate, the test strips can give substance users a false sense of confidence that the drugs they are using are fentanyl free, the report said. Ebora acknowledged the limits of the test strips but said they can still be useful in promoting safe consumption. "There have been multiple studies on clients who've used the fentanyl test strips, and those who've had a positive result have actually made some drug use behaviour changes and increased their opioid prevention or overdose prevention strategies," she said. While some substance users avoided using their drugs when fentanyl was detected, Ebora knows others may use the test hoping for a positive result. "Some people who use drugs are looking to use an opioid, and so some people use the test to see if there is fentanyl in their drugs," Ebora said. "One of our strategies to prevent overdose is including a pamphlet that goes over tips on how to be safe, like having naloxone and never using alone." Other items in the box at NorWest include HIV test kits, clean crack pipes, hygiene kits, sage for smudging and naloxone. NorWest primary care nurse Jennifer Gourlay said each Healthbox is stocked by nurses based on the needs of the community. Reach Nexus supplies the clinic with some harm reduction tools. The clinic also relies on donations and uses its own budget to keep the box stocked. Since the box was introduced to the clinic last March, it has been accessed by more than 2,000 unique users. A recent survey by NorWest found that close to 10,000 harm reduction and wellness supplies had been dispensed, including 339 naloxone kits. So far, 11 fentanyl test strip kits have been given out since they were added to the box just a few weeks ago. Gourlay said she hopes the anonymity of the machine will encourage users to access the tools and help they need. "What I hope is that it will build trust with our clinic, with those who are using substances, so that they can come to us when they need us for something they can't get at the Healthbox," Gourlay said. Winnipeg clinic gives out free fentanyl test strips 3 minutes ago Duration 2:16 Nurses at NorWest Community Co-op Clinic hope the free fentanyl test strip kits in their health vending machine will prevent overdoses.
CBC
16-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
Winnipeg hospital unveils vending machine to help with harm reduction
Social Sharing Winnipeg's St. Boniface Hospital is the first acute-care hospital in Canada to have a vending machine to help save lives. Our Healthbox enables people who need harm reduction and health supplies to get them discreetly — and free — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The machine, unveiled Wednesday morning, supplies naloxone and HIV self-testing kits, safe consumption supplies like clean needles, sexual health supplies, as well as menstrual and hygiene products, among other things. "In my view, it's extremely important. In the last several years, we have seen more and more persons coming into St. Boniface Hospital with substance use," said Katarina Lee-Ameduri, a clinical ethicist at St. Boniface Hospital and the director of ethics for the Réseau Compassion Network. There has also been an increase in people seeking supplies, like naloxone, to help combat the consequences of substance use, she said, but the machine is there for other reasons, too. "There's also, unfortunately, the realities of persons living within our community who have other unmet needs. They need socks, they need underwear, they need hygiene kits," Lee-Ameduri told CBC Manitoba Information Radio host Marcy Markusa. "So those basic dignity human supplies will now be available for free for individuals in the community and also patients that we have." The machine is temporarily located in the basement area, across from the Robin's Donuts, at the hospital's south entrance. It will be moved in mid-September to be outside the new emergency entrance after construction is completed. There are similar types of vending machines that use handprint technology to deliver harm reduction supplies, but the St. Boniface box is the second through the Our Healthbox initiative. The NorWest Co-op Community Health clinic in Winnipeg introduced Manitoba's first Our Healthbox in March 2024. St. Boniface's box is the 12th in Canada. The first four were launched in January 2023 in New Brunswick. Developed by Dr. Sean B. Rourke at St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), the machines have been visited more than 118,000 times by close to 10,000 people, and have distributed more than 48,000 supplies, including over 2,100 naloxone kits, said Reach Nexus, a national research group where Rourke is the director. "This is something that works. It's going to help the community here," Rourke said at Wednesday's launch. "It's going to reach people, it's going to help people get what they need to take care of themselves and their health. "It's the first hospital in Canada, so we're very excited about that. I hope other hospitals follow." The machines feature an interactive video screen that shows the products. When people tap the one they want, the screen also provides relevant information. "It allows the person who's coming up to the machine to learn about the supplies and what's in each package, and then additionally, have the education needed to be able to utilize the supplies," Lee-Ameduri said. "For example, if it's a naloxone kit, it will tell you about overdose [and] it will tell you how to utilize [the] kit." The machine can also be programmed to display information about current public health concerns in the community, such as a warning about tainted drugs. "The interface of it, it's effectively like a large computer," Lee-Ameduri said. "There's almost like an index where people can try to seek other supports [in the city] that they are looking for. So it's meant not just as the dissemination of these supplies … but information sharing, too." It's in St. Boniface, Winnipeg's French quarter, and there is a French language option. It's aimed at people 16 years of age and older, but there are limitations to preventing those younger than that from accessing the supplies, Lee-Ameduri said. A person is given a series of questions and asked to input their year of birth in order to create a user ID for future use. "We are making the assumptions that when people are trying to go in and remember what type of unique user ID they have, that they're going to have a fairly accurate year of birth. There is definitely good faith involved here," Lee-Ameduri said. Data collected from the machine will help determine the number of new and returning users, and which supplies are being used the most. Funding for the St. Boniface machine came from BMO, the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and Reach Nexus, as well as from private sources, while some supplies, like the needles and sterile water for injection kits, are from public health. "Part of the initiatives going forward will be seeing how many supplies we're going through and at what frequency, and at that point, looking to what other resources we potentially have to be able to to upkeep those supplies," Lee-Ameduri said.
